Eur Endod J. 2019; 4(1): 38-44 | DOI: 10.14744/eej.2018.02886

The Effect of Chlorhexidine and Dimethyl Sulfoxide on Long-Term Microleakage of Two Different Sealers in Root Canals

R. M. Lindblad¹, L. V. J. Lassila², P. K. Vallittu³, L. Tjäderhane^4
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
²Department of Biomaterials Science and Turku Clinical Biomaterials Centre-TCBC, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
³Department of Biomaterials Science and Turku Clinical Biomaterials Centre-TCBC, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Turku; City of Turku, Welfare Division
⁴Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, University of Helsinki, and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Research Unit of Oral Health Sciences, and Medical Research Center Oulu (MRC Oulu), Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

Objective: The aim of root canal obturation is to prevent leakage and inhibit microbial invasion. This study aimed to determine the effect of chlorhexidine (CHX) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as final irrigants on microleakage of root filling immediately and after 18 months. The hypothesis was that either CHX or DMSO would not affect the immediate or long-term microleakage.
Methods: A total of 120 human third molar root canals were obturated with RealSeal SE or Topseal and gutta percha. Before obturation, the canals were irrigated with saline (control), 2% CHX or 5% DMSO. Microleakage of half of each groups (n=10) was measured after 3 days, and of the other half was measured after 18 months with fluid filtration method.
Results: In immediate measurements, RealSeal SE performed significantly better in CHX-irrigated group (p=0.035; Mann-Whitney test). For both sealers, DMSO had the lowest mean microleakage values, which were also statistically significantly lower than with CHX irrigation within sealers (p<0.009 for Topseal and p=0.04 for RealSeal SE; Mann-Whitney test). With RealSeal SE, the microleakage with CHX was significantly higher than that in controls (p=0.022; Mann-Whitney test).
Conclusion: Neither final irrigant showed statistically significant differences in the immediate microleakage within the two sealers. Irrigation with DMSO caused significantly less microleakage than CHX for both sealers after 18 months.

Keywords: Adhesion, chlorhexidine, dimethyl sulfoxide, irrigation, microleakage, obturation, root canal sealers

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